NU
Mon, 14 July 2025
Southend-on-Sea, Essex – London Southend Airport remains closed until further notice today after a small plane crashed in a dramatic fireball shortly after take-off on Sunday afternoon. Emergency services are at the scene, with air accident investigators leading the probe into the cause of the tragic incident.
The crash occurred just before 4:00 PM local time on Sunday, 13 July 2025. Eyewitnesses described a "huge fireball" and plumes of thick black smoke rising from the crash site as the aircraft plummeted to the ground. The impact sent shockwaves through the local community and prompted a swift response from emergency crews.
The aircraft involved has been identified as a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, registered PH-ZAZ, operated by Zeusch Aviation, a Dutch company specialising in medical evacuation, organ transport, and private charter flights. Flight tracking data indicates the plane, operating as flight SUZ1, had taken off from Southend Airport at 3:48 PM and only reached an altitude of 175 feet before crashing. It was reportedly en route to Lelystad, Netherlands. Earlier on Sunday, the same aircraft had flown from Athens, Greece, to Pula, Croatia, before arriving in Southend.
Whilst the Beechcraft B200 Super King Air can carry a larger number of passengers, the crashed aircraft was reportedly configured as a luxury private plane with eight seats and a leather interior, also equipped for medical transport.
As of Monday morning, there has been no official confirmation regarding the number of people on board or any casualties, injuries, or fatalities. Authorities are meticulously working through the wreckage to ascertain this critical information. However, initial reports from the scene have raised fears of potential casualties.
John Johnson, who was at the airport with his family, provided a harrowing account of the events. He stated he saw a "big fireball" after the plane "crashed head first into the ground." Poignantly, he recalled waving at the pilots before take-off, who waved back, only for the aircraft to take off, bank heavily to its left, invert, and then crash. Another witness, James Philpott, a bartender at a nearby golf club, described feeling a "baking heat wave" before witnessing the massive fireball.
Essex Police, the East of England Ambulance Service, and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, along with the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), immediately descended on the scene. Essex Police declared it a "serious incident" and have urged the public to avoid the area whilst their work continues. A police cordon is expected to remain in place at least until Monday morning.
As a precautionary measure due to their proximity to the crash site, the Rochford Hundred Golf Club and Westcliff Rugby Club were evacuated. The East of England Ambulance Service deployed multiple ambulances and specialised response vehicles, whilst fire crews from several stations worked to control the blaze.
Zeusch Aviation, the aircraft operator, released a statement confirming their flight SUZ1 was involved and pledged their full co-operation with the authorities in the ongoing investigation. "Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected," the statement read.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) has taken the lead in determining the exact cause of the crash, and their findings will be crucial in understanding what led to this devastating incident at London Southend Airport. Further updates are anticipated as the investigation progresses.
